


Every Breath You Take

by AssyPiff



Category: Peter Kay's Car Share (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-02 05:28:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19434862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AssyPiff/pseuds/AssyPiff
Summary: Set after Kayleigh moved in with Mandy and Steve. A story about the perils of Kayleigh's life online.





	1. Chapter 1

In retrospect, Kayleigh would probably have done things differently. She would have been circumspect, been more suspicious, trusted less easily, but this was not in her nature and felt sad that all this had changed her sunny outlook forever.

She was not what would be described as a person who was ahead of the curve when it came to technology. She had reluctantly started to buy CD's, even though she much preferred cassette tapes. It was only when her brother Keiran had joined the army that she joined Facebook so that they could keep in touch while he was away. She never had the spare cash to buy the latest gadgets, even her phone was an old BlackBerry, a cast off from Keiran when he'd upgraded to a smart phone several phones ago now. She had an old laptop of her sister Mandy, who had needed to upgrade hers for work, and it was this she spent most evenings glued to on her Facebook and Twitter accounts and then the Heartsearchers.com website after she had decided to try to kick start her love life. She had spent hours sifting through the usual array of losers, time-wasters and weirdos, hoping that her Prince Charming would make himself known somehow.

When she had first started car sharing with John Redmond, she had been shocked quite frankly, that he was not on Social Media. "I don't want them nosy bastards at work to know my business." he'd said when she asked him whether he was online. It wasn't that John was anti social media entirely, revealing his use of Skype and You Tube to her, just that he wasn't interested in his colleagues' gossip and certainly didn't want to be topic of such gossip like he was when he had split up with Charlotte. Kayleigh wasn't entirely sure that she believed John at first, but when she couldn't find him on Facebook or Twitter, reluctantly had to admit that John was one of those rare souls who had no need to share their breakfast or their opinions about politics or the latest craze in tv with all and sundry.

It all started innocently enough. When she had moved stores, Kayleigh had been invited to join the group of staff in a group chat on Facebook, where they would basically slag off management and gossip about who was seeing whom. Kayleigh enjoyed chatting to her colleagues of an evening, even though she was able to catch up with some during the lunch break, sometimes this wasn't possible, so news was exchanged after work.

The new Car Share scheme had caused much discussion about who would be paired up with whom. Kayleigh had been secretly very pleased when she had been partnered with John Redmond, assistant manager, of grumpy disposition but generally agreed to be a nice bloke. Of course all the girls wanted all the gossip about John, at first Kayleigh joined in but not long after Old Ted's funeral when John had opened up to her about his dad, Kayleigh realised that he didn't talk to anybody else like this and wanted to keep their closening relationship to herself. This didn't stop her being teased in their chat group though. It was for the most part good-natured banter about how well her and John seemed to get on. Unbeknownst to Kayleigh, another chat group had been set up not including her so that the real gossip about them could be discussed without her knowing. Whenever there was anything of note to report, it would go on the chat page and dissected ad nauseam.

Another cause of Kayleigh to be online in the evenings was the initial flurry of contacts she had received after joining Heartsearchers.com. Kayleigh, given the opportunity, would always try to see the good in people, ignored pretty much everyone's advice to be careful when talking to the men who contacted her. She had not thought too much of the usernames these men used, thepussylover and japsi being the best of a bad lot. Her own username, browneyedgirl was after that Van Morrison song her dad used to sing to her when she was little. She had given herself two months on Heartsearchers.com before deciding that she didn't want to deal with any more weirdos and that she had in fact found somebody by sitting on her arse. She had wondered for a long while whether it could have been one of them. Even playing innocent word games online led to a flurry of men wanting to know her marital status and whether she would play "Dirty Scrabble" with them.

Outside the room at the police station where Kayleigh was sat with Mandy, holding her hand with one hand and a brew in the other, John was pacing up and down, hardly able to contain himself. He was beside himself with rage and worry in equal measure, not sure how to release his pent up emotions other than by doing a passable impression of a caged lion.

Kayleigh was shaking, shocked beyond belief that someone would do that to her. 

"I swear to God Kayleigh, if John doesn't tear them limb from limb, I will! I will drag Keiran home from Cyprus myself to sort that bastard out! I tell you if the police don't stop this..." 

Kayleigh shook her head vigorously at her sister, "Please don't do that! There's no need for our Keiran to be involved. It's bad enough that you and Steve and John know about this!" Her words were whispered but none the less insistent for the lack of volume.

" Sis! We all love you! You should have told us when this all started! We might have been able to do something! We could have stopped it getting to this! You're too nice do you know that? "

Kayleigh looked at Mandy sharply. " What do you mean, "we all love you?"

Mandy sighed deeply, "We all love you Kayleigh! Yes even John! Well especially John! We can all see it, except you apparently. That man loves the bones of you, can't you hear him out there pacing the corridor?"

Kayleigh smiled weakly through her tears, "John's my friend. You know I even thought it might be him at one stage!"

" What? John would never do this! Frighten you half to death. I tell you it will be a battle to keep him from throttling that sick bastard when he finds out who it is... "

" You mustn't let John do that. I don't want John to get into trouble over me!" Kayleigh had started crying again, "Promise me Mandy! Whatever happens you and Steve must stop him doing any thing stupid."

Mandy's reply was forestalled by a female detective entering the interview room that Kayleigh and Mandy had been led to as they entered the police station.

"My name is DS Kate Foster, I am the designated SPOC (Single Point of Contact) for victims of stalking and will investigate what's happened to you. I'll be taking you through the procedure for gathering the evidence against this person, finding out who it is and stopping them from doing any more harm. My colleagues are currently at your address gathering evidence, we'll start going through everything from the beginning in the morning. " She smiled sympathetically at the two women. "Do you have somewhere safe you can spend the night? Or do you need us to provide you with a place of safety?"

"Thank you DS Foster, we can go to...well I don't know where...?" Kayleigh can't begin to think straight.

"My husband Steve has taken the kids round to his mum's...and we can't go home... could we go round to John's? "

"Who's John? Is he the man wearing a hole in the lino outside?"

" He's my friend. From work. We couldn't ask him... "

"Of course we could..." Mandy intervened, " except...is that such a good idea? Maybe they know where he lives too. But he might know somewhere. We should ask him. "

"I'll ask him to come in shall I?" DS Foster rose from her chair and went into the corridor where John had eventually worn himself out and taken a seat on a bench.

" Mr Redmond? Would you mind coming in here for a moment? " 

"What? Yes of course! Is Kayleigh ok?"

"There's not much we can do tonight, sir. She obviously can't go home we need her to be in a place of safety until we can start the evidence gathering interviews with her tomorrow. She's hoping that you would know of somewhere she could go. "

"You can come back to mine Kayleigh." John declared in a tone which implied that he would protect her by barricading her in if need be.

"Do you have somewhere else you could go Mr Redmond? We thought that the perpetrator might know your home address." D.S Foster looked at the man in front of her, as sure as she could be that he would find somewhere safe to go.

John thought for a moment, " We could go to me Mum's, but there wouldn't be room for all of us."

"Don't worry John, I'll be going round to Steve's parents to be with the kids." Mandy smiled at him reassuringly.

"Right, good... I mean that makes things easier. I'll just call Mum... won't be a minute." John gave them a small grin as he left the room, finding his mum's number on his phone as he went.

John had briefly filled his mum in on what had been going on with Kayleigh, especially since all this funny business had started, "Hiya mum, I need to ask you a favour. Yes I know it's late... listen I'll tell you all about it later. Can me and Kayleigh stay round at yours tonight? No Kayleigh's not alright! Mum would you make up my old room for us? I don't know how long we'll be but I'll text you when we leave the Police Station. Mum! I've got to go! I've got to get back to Kayleigh.Thanks mum, yes you get the kettle on."

John's conversation with his mum wasn't exactly private in the corridor, inside the room the three women were unashamedly listening in to every word.

"He's a good man, your John!" Mandy stage whispered to Kayleigh as John reappeared, looking somewhat embarrassed that his conversation with his mum was overheard and caused amusement.

" It'll be alright to go to my mum's," he grinned at Kayleigh, "she's putting the kettle on."

"Right, that's settled then! Would you give me your mother's address? I'll be round in the morning." DS Foster took the address off John before bidding them all good night.

"Kayleigh? You ready? I could do with getting over to Steve's parents. He's probably letting the kids get up to all sorts! You'll be fine now will you?"

Kayleigh had managed to pull herself round especially after a reviving cup of tea and John's offer of a safe place to stay.

"I don't want to hold you up," Kayleigh said in a stronger voice than she had had for a while.

"We'd best get off then, we don't want to keep me mum waiting, she'll have got the bacon sarnies on by now with any luck." 

Mandy took her leave, hurrying off into the early summer night to get back to her own family, certain that she could entrust her sister to the care of John and his family.

"Thank you John," Kayleigh laid a weary hand on John's arm as they sat side by side in his car before setting off to the suburban street where his mum had lived for the past forty years.

"No need to thank me Kayleigh, " John replied, " let's get settled, we'll worry about tomorrow when we need to. Tonight everything is alright, mum will make a fuss of you and I'll make sure nobody gets to you or leaves you any more little presents. You'll always be safe with us."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kayleigh finds sanctuary at the Redmond family home. John tells his Mum what had happened...

Arriving outside John's mum's, Kayleigh had managed to compose herself during the journey so that by the time John pulled up outside, she had fluffed her hair, blown her nose and generally tidied herself up, hoping that the first time she met Mrs Redmond she did not look like the fright she had just experienced.

"Do I look alright John?" Kayleigh wasn't sure why she suddenly felt a wave of anxiety at meeting John's mum after all she had been through. She supposed she just wanted to make a good impression.

John unclipped his seatbelt and turned to look at Kayleigh properly by the light of the street light outside of his mum's house. She looked worse than when she'd had the panic attack in the car wash, but bless her she was trying to put on a brave face.

"You look fine, Kayleigh. Mum's not going to be worried about what you look like. She'll want to take care of you, so do me a favour and let her? It'll be easier in the long run, believe me. "

"Does she know what's happened?"

"You heard the conversation, no I've not had the chance to tell her. You don't have to tell her anything Kayleigh, she'll welcome you whatever." John gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, "Let's get in eh? I can see the curtain twitching from here!" And with that he led the way up his mum's front door, which was flung open by a dark-haired middle-aged lady who bared a startling resemblance to her son.

"Come in, come in you two! I've got the kettle on!" Mrs Redmond bustled round as John ushered Kayleigh into the kitchen.

"Kayleigh, this is my Mum, Mum Kayleigh."

Kayleigh did her best but could only manage a small smile in return to the large one she was treated to. 

" Thank you so much for putting me up Mrs Redmond."

"Call me Deirdre, love. Looks to me like you need a hug, and if this son of mine isn't going to offer..." she engulfed Kayleigh giving John a significant look which clearly spelt out it should be him offering the comfort.

"Kettle hot is it?" John asked, feeling the side of the kettle and pouring the contents into the three mugs that were waiting on the side. 

"It's very kind of you at such short notice. I couldn't think where else to go..." Kayleigh looked at Deirdre gratefully having finally been released from her firm embrace and guided to sit at the kitchen table.

"Happy to have you and to finally meet you at last, love. Now you just drink your brew, I don't expect you've eaten much? I've got some bacon warming in the oven when you're ready."

Kayleigh shared a look with John, "I don't think I can manage anything after..." she shuddered and felt the bile rise in her throat.

"Nonsense! Nothing can't be cured by a bacon sarnie and brew. It'll settle your stomach, believe me."

Kayleigh looked pleadingly to John for help, but he merely shrugged and grinned, "let her look after you," he mouthed. 

All three sat round the kitchen table eating and drinking in companionable quiet, John and his mum exchanging glances and Kayleigh making herself go through the motions of eating, even though she thought she might throw up at every mouthful. 

Swallowing the last of the bacon sandwich, Kayleigh had a sudden thought, "I haven't got anything with me... we left in such a hurry and then we weren't allowed back."

"I might not have all the latest products, love, but I'm sure that I can find you what you need. I'm sure you won't want one of my nighties. John?"

John had drifted off a bit, the drama of the evening had caught up with him, now he was at his family home he felt the adrenaline drain out of him. 

"John!"

Both women looked at John fondly, his head resting on his hands trying valiantly to stay awake.

"Hmm? What?"

"John dear, I've set your old room up, I think Kayleigh needs to go and get some rest. She can borrow one of your old tee shirts." She said nothing about them sharing a room, thinking it wise to keep her own counsel until she could have a proper talk with her son. He may be close to forty, but he was still her son after all!

Kayleigh caught sight of the time, it was getting on towards half past ten but she wasn't ready to be alone just yet. She yawned widely but gave John a pleading look, which told him exactly what she wanted. It was quite remarkable really how quickly they had become friends and had come to understand and trust each other, a fact that was not lost on either of them.

"Why don't you fish out what Kayleigh might need while we go and sit in the front room for a bit?" John suggested quietly to his mum, while taking hold of Kayleigh's hand, gently pulling her up from the table and leading her into the cosy lounge. 

It was there that Deirdre found them snuggled up on the sofa a while later after she had gathered a small selection of toiletries and one of John's tee shirts he had grown out of but she had kept for sentimental reasons, deeming it a better fit for Kayleigh. John had slung his mum's tartan sofa blanket over Kayleigh and had tucked her under his arm, managing to keep the blanket off him as he was already too warm with Kayleigh curled up against him.

Despite Kayleigh not wanting to fall asleep, she had succumbed very quickly in the secure arms of John to the soundtrack of his steady heartbeat. John was happy that he had her there where nobody could get to her. At this moment he felt as if he would protect her with his last breath.

" So what was this all about John?" Deirdre had not wanted to ask earlier and upset Kayleigh any more than she clearly was already.

John sighed deeply, "Well I told you that she had been having problems with someone online? It seems we didn't know the half of it. She'd been keeping all this to herself..."

"All what John?" 

"The harassment Mum. Now it seems that someone has taken it to a whole new level. They hadn't got what they wanted so now this. Bastards! I swear if I get my hands on them!" John was still speaking in a low voice so as not to wake Kayleigh, but there was no mistaking the menace in it.

"What happened tonight John?" Deirdre was trying hard not to get impatient with her son, who was clearly upset but nonetheless prevaricating.

" Mandy, Steve and the kids were out at the cinema, so Kayleigh was home alone. She was enjoying a soak in the bath with her music on and didn't hear a thing. When they arrived home they found absolute bloody carnage. Somebody had broken into the kitchen ... " he didn't know quite how to soften the next bit, "they left a present..." he hung his head not wanting to make eye contact with his mum. 

Deirdre was literally sat on the edge of her seat, hanging on his every word, already horrified that someone had broken in while Kayleigh was in the bath. "That's awful John! Poor girl!"

"That's not the worst of it Mum, they had somehow got hold of the black currant costume she wore for National Effin' Jam Week, filled it with fish guts and offal, stuck a bloody great knife through it and wrote a message on the kitchen wall with the blood, "If you won't be mine, your next!"

"Oh my dear Lord in Heaven! " Deirdre had clasped her hand over her mouth after she had crossed herself. "Did she see all of this?"

"Yeah she ran down stairs hearing Mandy and the kids screaming. They're traumatised needless to say."

"Did none of you have any idea it had got to this? I know you'd said she was having problems..."

"No, she'd been a bit quiet of late but she hadn't even told her Mandy."

"So how come you were there?"

"Mandy called me. She'd got her hands full with the kids, Steve was dealing with the Police, Kayleigh was just curled up in a ball, rocking. Mandy got hold of Kayleigh's phone and asked me to go over. If I haven't got pissin' speeding tickets it'll be a bloody miracle!" He had raced over to Bury in record time not caring about anything but getting there.

Kayleigh had started stirring, John cuddled her further into him, "Shh it's alright Kayleigh, I'm here. You're safe right here." John's voice was warm and reassuring.

"Poor girl, she's exhausted. You should get her up to bed." This was said innocently but John had picked upon his mum's meaning.

"Mum, we're not... I mean there's nothing like that going on...we're friends."

"I can see that."

"Mum I can't even think about that now. She needs me but I'm not going to take advantage. You should know me better than that!" John is frankly offended that his mother would even imply what she was implying.

"Well you can't help me wondering when you asked me to get your old room ready."

"I meant she could sleep there and I would bunk down on the sofa since you've turned our Paul's old room into your craft room."

"I'm sorry John. Of course. I shouldn't have assumed. " 

"Well alright then. We'll say no more about it."

Just then Kayleigh shuddered and let out a cry in the midst of her dream. 

"No! John! Get off him! You leave him alone! "

John shifted so that he could enfold her in both arms. " Hey, it's OK, Kayleigh, wake up! Wake up now!" John was firmly but gently shaking her awake.

Kayleigh opened her eyes slowly, not entirely sure where she was but still distressed from her dream. When she was able to focus, Kayleigh saw two concerned Redmond faces looking back at her. She looked from one to the other finally registering that they were in Deirdre's front room and not stuck in some nightmare scenario in Mandy's kitchen.

"Are you OK Kayleigh?" John hadn't let her go but was now holding her loosely round the waist.

"I couldn't get to you John! It was awful...it was you in that costume, there was blood everywhere!"

" It's alright, love. You're safe here with us. John's OK look. " Deirdre took hold of Kayleigh's shaking hands. "I think it's about time you went to bed. I've left you some things in the bathroom upstairs. Can you bring your pillows and duvet down John?"

" Aye, I will, I'll just get this one settled. " John gave Kayleigh a squeeze, "Come on you, that's enough excitement for one night."

"Thank you both." Kayleigh didn't think she would ever be able to express how grateful she was to them.

"You just try to rest my dear, I think it's about time we all turned in."

Kayleigh nodded and smiled gratefully, to follow John up the stairs and into his old room. He sat down on the end of his bed, suddenly looking the teenager she imagined he was when he was surrounded by his record collection and posters from Smash Hits magazine. 

"The bathroom's next door Kayleigh. I'll wait to see you settled. OK?"

" Yes, thank you John. I seem to have done nothing but thank you today. But still it's not enough. "

She walked out of the door, leaving John thoroughly in awe of her grace and beauty even at a time like this. 

Much to his surprise, Kayleigh did not take long to get ready for bed. She washed her face of make up, applied some of Deirdre's moisturiser, brushed her hair and teeth and changed into John's old Frankie Goes to Hollywood Relax tee shirt. Even though it was from the halcyon days of 1984, when John would have been somewhat smaller than he was these days, the tee shirt still swamped her, but she rather liked it. Knowing that it had been worn by him, surrounding herself with him, she was comforted by the size of it. She didn't give a single thought to her modesty, the tee shirt almost coming down to her knees and trusting John completely.

Entering John's room again, Kayleigh felt better than she had all evening. She smiled fondly at John, who had taken a spare duvet and a couple of pillows from out of the wardrobe and had piled them by the door ready to take downstairs.

"Are you going somewhere John?"

" I'll sleep on the sofa, Kayleigh. "

"Please don't go John. At least until I'm asleep again. This may sound corny, but you make the darkness go away when you're here. Do you mind?"

"I don't mind if you don't. I wanted to give you space Kayleigh."

" The last thing I need is space John. "

"Well get into bed then. I'm not going to be long meself. I'm knackered!"

Kayleigh got into John's bed, the look she gave him indicated that she wanted a cuddle. He laid down on top of the bed clothes and spooned up behind her, holding her lightly round the waist.

"This alright?" He whispered.

" Yes it is John," she sighed deeply feeling secure in his arms, relaxed for the first time since this whole nightmare had started.

Some time in the night John had got up and turned the light off and dragged the spare duvet over himself, still on top of the bed clothes. Kayleigh had turned and had flung an arm over his stomach and had laid her head on his chest, instinctively comforted by the sound of his heartbeat. 

They were like this when Deirdre came to find them in the morning. She took note of John's fully dressed state and his position in top of the bed, smiling at her son, the gentleman.

"Whatever happens, these two will be just fine!" She thought to herself, placing their brews on the coasters on the bedside table before quietly leaving the room, wanting to give them a few more minutes before they had to face the stark reality of what had happened.


End file.
